The river Sal and its flood plains completely submerged and inundated by the flood waters at the Khareband bridge.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar.
MARGAO
As the river Sal flowed in full spate for the second day, overflowing along the Seraulim-Mungul-Benaulim stretch on Wednesday, Benaulim villagers sent an SOS to the government agencies responsible for giving the go-ahead signal to the plan for building the western bypass sans stilts along the 2.75 km Benaulim-Seraulim stretch.
Wednesday saw the water catchment areas and flood plains of the river Sal flowing to the brim. Water from the river Sal was seen entering the storm water nullahs near the Khareband bridge. In fact, one could not figure out the river Sal near the bridge as the entire low-lying area was submerged under water.
No doubt, flood waters did not submerge or water logging noticed on the roads leading to Benaulim, but the situation has thrown up a question where will the rain water from the catchment areas go after it gets displaced once the western bypass is built on earthen embankments, especially through the Tolleaband Lake.
Benaulim villager, Royla Fernandes, who has petitioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the western bypass sans stilts, said she sent messages to various agencies, including the National Highways, Water Resources Department and others to immediately come down to Benaulim and Seraulim and take a look at the inundation of the flood plains of river Sal. “I wanted officials of these agencies to come and see for themselves how the desilting of the river Sal could not prevent the river from overflowing. Similarly, I wanted to draw their attention that increasing the number of culverts and water drainage channels along the 2.75 km bypass route will not help in containing the floods”, she said.
Benaulim villagers also feared that building huge embankments right through the rain water catchment areas will displace the water, which may inundate and flood the low lying areas inhabited by the people.
Royla showed how the flood water from the river Sal was entering the Tolleabandh Lake when it ought to have been the vice-versa. “This only goes to show that desilting of the river will not stop the inundation of the flood plains during monsoons. This is the right time the ministers and MLAs should visit the river Sal flood plains and do a re-think on building the bypass on stilts”, she said.
Local Benaulim residents were scheduled to meet later in the evening to take stock of the situation in the flood plains of river Sal and chalk out the future course of action.
